Jeff Klauk: Golf's Next Rookie of the Year?

Last year, Jeff Klauk seemed in danger of becoming golf's "Crash" Davis, the minor-league lifer in the baseball movie Bull Durham.

Klauk was a college star who won more tournaments at Florida Southern University than fellow alums Lee Janzen, a two-time U.S. Open champion, and Rocco Mediate combined. Klauk, now 31, spent seven seasons on the Nationwide Tour, golf's version of Triple-A ball, becoming one of only five men to win more than $1 million on that circuit.

Jeff Klauk is vying to be the PGA Tour's rookie of the year.

Fast-forward to the 2009 season, Klauk's first as a PGA Tour member. He has made more than $586,000 in 10 big-league events. He's a leading contender for rookie of the year honors, but his top goal is to qualify for the Players Championship in May. The golf tournament is played on the famed Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., the course where Klauk grew up and his father served as superintendent for 23 years.

Most PGA Tour rookies require a period of adjustment. How did you get comfortable so quickly?

Klauk: Having grown up around the PGA Tour most of my life, it was a lot easier. I knew most of the guys, and the people at the PGA Tour itself. Being around one of the biggest tournaments the PGA Tour puts on made it easy to get used to. When you get to a tournament, it feels like you've already been there. I was just ready for it all to begin.

What changes have you made to bring about all the recent success?

Klauk: I've gotten better mentally, and my short-game has also gotten a lot better, thanks to my coach, Cody Barden. I've gotten better and better in all aspects of the game. I'm headed in the right direction, although there's still a long way to go.